Amusement device



.l. B. STRAUSS.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 5, 1919.

Patented June 27, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

.l. B. STRAUSS.

AMUSEMENTI DEVICE- APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1919- 5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PatentedJlme 27,1922.

J. B. STRAUSS.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, I919.

1,420 881 I Patented June 27, 1922 5 EETS-SHEET 3.

J. B. STRAUSS.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1919- Patented June 27, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

- Iduenaor 014 )5 JW J. B. STRAUSS.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE- APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 1919.

Patented June 27, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET a.

Inventor yam i Ja a eren n a ne crosses: B. erases-son onrcaeo,ILLINQIs.

- AMUSEMENT D VICE.

ine osea.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jane 27, was.

Application filed. November 5, 1913. Serial No; 335,899.

Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented acertainnew and useful Improvement in Amusement Devices, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to amusement devices and has for its object toprovide new and improved device of this description. One of the objectsof thepresent invention is to provide an amusement device wherein thecars in which the passengers are carried" are suspended below the trackalong which they travel, the parts beingarranged so that when the carsare taken to the top of the device they will run by'gravity around the.system to the point where the passengers are discharged and received.

pointed out in the following description. The invention is illustratedin theaccompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a plan view showing anamusement device ei'nbodying the invention;

Fig; 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation sho ing a part of the structure;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-iof Fig.1;

-Fig. 5. is an enlarged view illustrating the method of supporting thecars;

Fig. 6 is a side view of the car;

Fig. 7 is a detail of the drive.

Like numerals refer to throughout the several: figures.

In carryin out the invention I provide like parts a supporting framework1 for the cars which may be arranged in any desired manner and which asshown in Fi 1 curves and crosses different elevations. As illustrated inFig. 1 there is a station 2 for the passengers in order to enter thecars. The supporting framework consists of the posts 3 which are ofdifferent heights along the supporting framework. At the top of theseposts are upright supports 4 preferably in the form of trusses to whichare connected the cross bracing or supports 5. The cross bracing carriesthe rails or tracks 6 for the wheels 7, said Wheels being connected tothe cars 22, said cars being suspended below the cross bracing andhaving portions 9 which extend up through openings in the cross bracing,so as to make the connection in the wheels.

The invention has other ob ects which are IDOI'G'SPGOlfiCflllY The crossbracing is provided with open spaces for the wheels which :run on therails or tracks 6. Therails arepreferably par: allel with the, trusses4. These trusses are preferably deepened at their ends so that the cars,pass between them as shown for example in Fig. 4c, the cars at thispoint being located between the cross bracing and the top of-lthe post.IniFig. 2 which is a section at.22 of Fig. 1, there is illustrated apart of the structure where one set of tracks is above the other. Inthis construction there are two posts3. the lower tracks being suspendedbetween these posts. A single ost 3 is-mounted on these two posts and.

theother set oftracks'are at the end of this single post 3. The cars arealso provided with safety devices 10. which extend up.

through these openings and project over the rails 6 so that if theconnection between the. cars'and' the trucks fail these safety deviceswill drop on the rails and still support the cars so as topreventaccidents. Certain ofthe posts 3 may be connected together by thecross members?) where this canbedone,

so as to make a more stable structure. There are preferably two of suchrails and two port 5. e

The cars are pulled up tolthe top orhighest part of the structure bysome suitable mechanism ands-re then released and run by gravity alongthe rest of the structure. Any suitable mechanism for pulling up thecars may be} used. As shown for examplein Fig. 7 there is a chain-orbelt 11. which passes around suitable direction changing devices and hassuitable guiding devices 13. This belt is provided with a series ofhooks or engaging devices 14 which engage hooks or engaging devices 15on the cars. The cars are loaded at the station 2 or the platform 2 andthen are run by gravity around to the point 16 where the engagingdevices 14; engage the engaging devices 15, whereupon the cars arepulled up the incline by the belt. This belt is operated in any desiredmanner as by means of the motor 17 which drives to the ordinary speedeffect there is also provided a racing effect between the two sets ofcars.

The path of the supporting framework may be arranged as desired.struction illustrated a portion of the frame work passes through tunnels19 and20'" there being an intermediate lagoon 21 through which the carstravel. The bottoms 22 of the cars are preferably arranged in boat formso that they can pass through the water lagoon without having any ofthe'water enter the cars.

Lateral guides are provided for the cars to prevent their swinging andto guide them in the proper pathway. One form of these guides isillustrated in Fig. 5 wherein there is connected to the cross bracing onopposite sides of the ears the guides 20 and there are engaging devices21 on the cars which engage these guides.

I' claim: I

1. A railway comprising two separated longitudinal trusses forming theexterior boundaries of the upper part of the structure, the spacebetween said trusses being free from longitudinal structural supportingmembers, cross bracing extending across the space between saidlongitudinal trusses and connecting them, two pairs of rails carried bysaid cross bracing between the trusses and parallel thereto, open spacesin said cross bracing above said rails, wheels in said open spaces andrunning on said rails, and cars located beneath said rails and connectedwith said wheels.

2. A railway comprising two separated longitudinal trusses forming theexterior boundaries of the upper part of the structure, the spacebetween said trusses being free from longitudinal structural supportingmembers, posts upon which said trusses are supported, c ress bracingextending across the space between said longitudinal trusses andconnecting them, two pairs of rails car ried by said cross bracingbetween the trusses In the conand parallel thereto, open spaces in saidcross bracing above said rails, wheels in said open spaces and runningon said rails, cars located beneath said rails, said cars connected withsaid wheels.

3. A railway comprising two separated longitudinal trusses, posts uponwhich said trusses are supported, cross bracing connecting said trusses,two pairs of rails carried by said cross bracing between the trusses andparallel thereto, open spaces in said cross bracing above saidrails,wheels in said open spaces and running on said rails, cars locatedbeneath said rails, said cars connected with said wheels, said trussesdeepened at their ends so as to pass along the sides of the cars, saidcars being located between the cross bracing and the top of the post.

4. A railway comprising separated trusses, posts upon which said trussesare mounted cross bracing connecting with said trusses, rails carried bysaid cross bracing, wheels on said rails, a car connected with saidwheels and suspended below said cross bracing, lat eral connectingdevices for said cross bracing, guides connected with the cross bracingand engaging devices engaging said guides and connected with said carnear the top thereof.

5. A railway comprising two separated longitudinal trusses, crossbracing between the trusses, two pairs of rails carried by said crossbracing, open spaces in said cross bracing and above said rails, wheelsin said open spaces and mounted on said rails, and iongitudinal guidesconnected with the cross bracing for guiding said wheels.

In testimony whereof, I altix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses this 23rd day of October, 1919.

JOSEPH B. STRAUSS.

lVitnesses EDNA B. PETERSON, MINNIE M. LINDENAU.

